Most of my artwork I post here is done in 'portrait' style because I'd really like to draw a Star Wars comic cover one day! But I thought I should try to demonstrate that I can also create 'landscape' scenes too - so I've put together a series of three pictures depicting scenes that 'sort of' happened in the original Star Wars trilogy.

There was a scene filmed, but not completed, for Return of the Jedi (apparently as a joke) - showing the Imperial Guard using their force pikes to execute Moff Jerjerrod for slacking with his job of building the second Death Star. I thought that scene, if it had been used, could have actually been important in demonstrating Darth Vader's wavering devotion to his Emperor. The way I imagine it - the Emperor orders his guards to execute the hapless Moff - but Vader actually protests - and tries to remind the Emperor that this was a loyal soldier who delivered a functional Death Star. I think this would be consistent with Vader's old appreciation, as Anakin, for his troops - and would start to sow the seeds for his eventual redemption at the end of the movie!

This is an original depiction of characters created by George Lucas. It was drawn in Photoshop using a Wacom pad. Disney owns the copyright to Star Wars and its characters and this image is fan art that isn't for sale or reproduction.

Great pic, but Jerjerrod was never filmed being attacked or killed by the Royal Guards. The only scene of him being attacked has him being Force-choked by Vader, and two Royal Guards coming to his aid. A picture of this has been misinterpreted as the guards attacking him, instead of the offscreen Vader.

Jerjerrod actually survives to be in another deleted scene later, when Palpatine orders him to turn the Death Star on Endor and fire it if the tide of battle begins turning against the Empire.

Anyway, now that I'm done correcting you like the huge nerd that I am... I wanna say this is a flat-out amazing picture. The colors, poses, the faces etc., and I also rather like you idea that part of Vader's turn to the good side would've been influenced by Palpatine having Jerjerrod killed even though it wasn't his fault construction had fallen behind schedule. For all his demands and threats, Vader at least understood that Jerjerrod was TRYING. The encounter with Luke at Bespin left Vader a changed man, enough that he didn't kill Piett for something that wasn't his fault as he had Needa before; so too would he not also kill Jerjerrod for something that wasn't his fault... and when Palpatine does, it disturbs Vader and gets him thinking. A very fascinating idea, I must say.

Would have been a great scene to demonstrate the Emperor's complete contempt of anyone but himself but I find it hard to see Vader being too emotional about the death of an Imperial as he was directly and indirectly responsible for more than a few himself.

I definitely know what you mean - but, on the other hand, by the end of the movie he has completely changed and reverted to his old 'good self'. I always remember when I first saw Return of the Jedi and the scene when Vader goes down to Endor to confront Luke - I thought Luke was finished! But no - instead Vader's having this nice father/son chat with him and I wondered 'how' did Vader manage to change so completely, so quickly. Arguably he began to soften as soon as he encountered Luke in A New Hope - but even in Empire Strikes Back he was taking out Imperials for the slightest mis-step and only seemed to want to use Luke for his own ends. So his redemption in Jedi still seemed somewhat 'sudden'.

I Think it was a gradual thing given what we know now, certainly when the Emperor told Luke to kill him he had flashback of Dooku and Marek in their own similar circumstances and then when he saw Luke willing to Die for him while the Emperor tortured him it was too much. I think Anakin always wanted to be the Good Guy but he used the wrong methods and there was always a core of him still there, in a sense all the hate and loss were a shield covering this. He was a man who thought he'd lost everything so he only had the Emperor and his Empire to live for, then luke came back and suddenly he had to face the prospect of his humanity and all he'd given up. It's a powerful draw of redemption.

'Cuz throughout the movies , you really doubt Vader has any appreciation for his troops , claiming he doesn't tolerate incompetance and failure when himself failed to shoot down Luke at Yavin , causing thousands of Imperials to die .

Thanks very much! If you consider that George Lucas went back and created three whole movies to detail Anakin's slide to evil - it seems a bit unbalanced that his redemption happens relatively quickly in Jedi!

I can totally imagine the Emperor doing this kind of thing. I mean, he was doing his utmost best in the second Death Star construction, right? I really hate that guy, btw. I can see this scene being on the DVD of the film, as an extra content, like animated in 3d or something. Would explain Vader's change of heart indeed at the end of the film itself. Nice artwork, but a little too much for me. Nice details, btw and a nice viewpoint from where the Emperor is sitting.

Thanks - and interesting that you say it's "too much" - which I respect - but, arguably, the scene with Luke being electrocuted by the Emperor is worse because he's the main character that we've empathized with throughout the whole original trilogy - whereas Jerjerrod is just another 'evil' Imperial!?

I never did like that scene, but that's the Sith for you, I guess. Sorry about saying too much... I think I was reminded of that scene in Return of the Jedi, and maybe that's why I typed it. Well, the only bit I liked of it, is when Darth Vader comes good in the end.

indeed! However, besides the frequent loss of hands and arms there were lots more characters who suffered even more severe outcomes as a result of unfortunate encounters with lightsabers (Dooku, Jango, Maul). And then there are the various other deaths caused by crushed windpipes (Antilles) being eaten alive (Oola and the Gamorrean Guard), impalement (the Rancor), hypothermia followed by disembowelment (Han's TaunTaun), oh and the complete annihilation of a planet's population (Alderaan)...Star Wars was surprisingly gruesome when you think about it!

I dont think I seen the unused footage. I think I will have to look for them.

Not so sure if Vader would have done that. but I do remember one line he said, "I hope so commander, for your sake. The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am." But I always thought that to be to show how much more vile the emperor would be, considering Vader is not too forgiving.

I think you're right totally about that line. My only point with this though was to try to create an idea for a way that Vader's redemption could have been hinted at earlier instead of seeming like such a sudden and complete change of character at the end of the movie. As if to suggest that his repeated encounters with Luke had begun to awaken his old self and he was gradually losing the will to be the Emperor's 'pet'.

Well there was a hint of it when Luke was talking to Vader before. Luke was tying to convince him to switch sides, but Vader says, "It's too late for me."

And when the Emperor was killing Luke. Vader was looking at them back and forth. discovering what his son truly means to him and finding out he much rather betray his master, than stand by and let his son die.

That's how I kinda saw it. So in my opinion I think its perfect the way it is. because any more hinting would be like the movie spoiling itself, or making it predictable. Although I think the whole world knows starwars from birth. LOL

I watched the unused deleted Scene were Jerrjerrod was ordered to fire the Second Death Star Laser on Endor...which means the "Dark Side Ending" was actually a real thought on finishing Episode 6 with the total defeat of the Rebel Alliance...

Indeed! But I'm glad they didn't focus too much on Jerjerrod - especially if Vader had killed him. It would have made his eventual redemption seem all the more sudden and, possibly, unbelievable. Like I've tried to argue in some of my other replies on here - I like to think his devotion to his master and his methods, was something that Vader had been questioning for some time. I think this is hinted at in Jedi - most explicitly in the scene where Vader goes to have his father-son chat with Luke on Endor. He'd obviously come a long way in terms of reconnecting with his 'old self' - even since Empire Strikes Back. If anything, I think this movie tried to introduce more 'grey' to the previously, largely, black and white depiction of good and evil.